A funny thing has happened at LSU in recent weeks. Leonard Fournette’s numbers have gone down — for him, anyway — and the Tigers have somehow been more impressive. They’re no longer depending on the heavy Heisman Trophy favorite to carry them on his own, and yet LSU has defeated South Carolina, No. 11 Florida and Western Kentucky, scoring at least 35 points each game and further emerging as a playoff contender.

That’s because quarterback Brandon Harris has gone from game manager to viable threat, throwing for at least 200 yards and two touchdowns while completing 62.5 percent of his passes each of the last three games. And the sophomore, a part-time backup a year ago, hasn’t thrown an interception all year.

In what has been a down year in the SEC, where Alabama and Ole Miss and Georgia have all stubbed their toes, LSU is one of the nice surprises in the sport, an undefeated young team led by a superstar in Fournette. But, make no mistake, Harris is their most important player.

If Harris can continue to throw consistently enough, it will make defenses pick their poison, either let him beat them with deep threats Malachi Dupre and Vernon Hargreaves III or not sell out completely to contain Fournette.

Fourth-ranked LSU has a brutal stretch ahead, games at No. 6 Alabama, at No. 19 Ole Miss and Texas A&M in three of its final four games after a bye next weekend. It won’t get through them with the early-season Harris, who didn’t throw for more than 157 yards in his first four games and struggled with accuracy. This version, however, may lead them to Miami or Dallas — the sites of the playoff semifinals — on New Year’s Eve.

Buckeyes on Barrett

It’s only two games, two commanding victories over unranked Big Ten teams Penn State and Rutgers, but Ohio State finally looks like the Ohio State all predicted back in August.

Yes, the defense has begun to play like it did at the end of last year. And, yes, the undefeated defending national champion Buckeyes are running the ball well.

J.T. BarrettGetty Images

But this is all about the quarterback position, Urban Meyer finally going to J.T. Barrett in place of Cardale Jones.

Barrett has a maturity Jones lacks, he commands respect. His teammates look up to him. It was obvious by the way they talked about him late Saturday night, after he threw three touchdown passes and ran for two in a 49-7 rout at Rutgers.

He changes everything for Ohio State, particularly the offense that has gone from underwhelming to dominant with him under center. It’s no coincidence.

Block of ages

Michigan State’s dramatic victory over Michigan last weekend has been called the “Gift Six.” Florida State and Georgia Tech tried to one-up them, when the Yellow Jackets returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for a game-winning touchdown at the horn. Some have described it as the “Block Six.” We’re running out of quirky nicknames for these wild finishes.

It was a stunning way for the 17th-ranked Seminoles 28-game ACC win streak, spanning 1,113 days, to end just when they were starting to get notice as a playoff sleeper. Perhaps it was karma, after all the nail-biters Florida State pulled out last year, games it won that it should’ve lost.

Trojans’ horses

Was then-No. 3 Utah overrated? Was USC simply underperforming under dismissed coach Steve Sarkisian? Maybe it was a little of both.

Either way, the Trojans’ 42-24 dismantling of the Utes was an eye-opener for both programs, which were headed in very different directions entering the weekend. USC will have no shortage of interested coaches this offseason. This performance illustrated just how loaded the roster remains, despite everything else that has gone on at the school.

Heisman Watch

RB Leonard Fournette, LSU

You know the bar is set high when 150 rushing yards and a touchdown — Fournette’s production in a rout of Western Kentucky — hardly draws a reaction.

QB Trevone Boykin, TCU

Thirty touchdowns, 25 through the air. Nearly 3,000 total yards, a 66.4 completion percentage and just five interceptions. Boykin’s numbers through seven games are silly.

RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

Christian McCaffreyGetty Images

Three hundred more all-purpose yards, two touchdowns and another win. McCaffrey, Stanford’s Mr. Everything, is running his way to a trip to New York City in December.

WR Corey Coleman, Baylor

His 18 touchdown catches don’t just the lead the country — they’re more than has receiver had all of last year.

RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State

Florida State’s playoff chances took a major hit, and so did Cook’s now faint Heisman Trophy hopes, in that wild 22-16 loss to three-win Georgia Tech, in which the sophomore managed just 82 yards.

Top 10

1. Ohio State (8-0) (Last week: 1)

It took eight weeks and a quarterback change, but the Buckeyes finally have that look. Be afraid, college football. Be very afraid.

2. Baylor (7-0) (2)

The injury to quarterback Seth Russell (broken bone in neck) is terrible luck, but at least freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham has experience, playing in all seven Baylor games this year because of the Bears’ weekly routs.

3. TCU (7-0) (3)

The big-boy portion of the schedule begins now for TCU, which faces three ranked foes in its final five games — highlighted by the Nov. 27 showdown against Baylor.

4. Michigan State (8-0) (4)

Connor Cook is getting hot at the right time, throwing for more than 300 yards three straight weeks. On Saturday against Indiana, he was at his best, tossing four touchdowns and coming 2 yards shy of the Michigan State record with 398 yards through the air.

Dabo SwinneyGetty Images

5. LSU (7-0) (5)

With trips to Alabama and Ole Miss and the regular-season finale against Texas A&M remaining, LSU will have to earn its first SEC West crown since 2011.

6. Clemson (7-0) (7)

We’ve become Clemson fans — not because we care about the Tigers won-loss record — but to see those highly entertaining locker room dance parties — led by coach Dabo Swinney — they film after victories.

7. Stanford (6-1) (9)

The Cardinal, with a manageable remaining schedule, is now the Pac-12’s best hope for a playoff spot after Utah’s lopsided loss to USC.

8. Alabama (7-1) (8)

This was the NCAA Tournament’s version of “Survive and Advance,” the Crimson Tide’s ugly 19-14 win over 3-4 Tennessee at home.

9. Notre Dame (6-1) (NR)

That narrow loss to Clemson doesn’t look so bad now, does it?

10. Oklahoma State (7-0) (NR)

The Big 12 may not merely be a two-team race. While everyone is fixated on TCU and Baylor, the Cowboys have quietly gone undefeated, and will host the two playoff contenders.